Surph's Side

This is a Christian blog dealing with various issues. “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon. Scripture is my authority for all things regarding to life and godliness. 2 Cor. 10: 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Monday, March 19, 2018

This destroys false teacher John Piper's lucrative but unbiblicaltagline that "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him":

Joh 13:21 When Jesus had
said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me."

Joh 13:27 After the
morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, "What
you do, do quickly."

Joh 13:31 Therefore when
he had gone out, Jesus *said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is
glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify
Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

Joh 17:4 "I
glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given
Me to do. 5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with
the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Monday, March 12, 2018

"We have developed a method of reaching new agers that
is unique and enables us to pluck them out of darkness. We actually
teach this method to churches in Australia and indeed shared it to some
of your students when we were visiting Bethel," the Hodges wrote.
"It is ridiculous that Christians have judged us based on photos where
cards appear, yet not one person has asked, 'what exactly are those
cards?'"

On Tuesday, Theresa Dedmon, pastoral
staff member at Bethel who oversees
the Creative Arts Department for the church and the School of Supernatural
Ministry, denied in a blog post that the Destiny Cards are tarot cards, and
explained what they are and defended their use in ministry.

"First, 'Destiny Cards' are not tarot cards. They
do, however, have a similar look that attracts people who are searching for a
'reading.' What they get from Christ Alignment staff is a prophetic
word about their destiny, which is to have a personal relationship with Father
God through Jesus Christ, and encountered through the Holy
Spirit," she said. "Destiny Cards are simply images that help to
communicate the message of the Good News to those who are searching for a hope
and a future."

You might change the terms, but the spirit is still the same.
This is nothing by psychic occultism, and that is exactly what Charismaticism's
"prophecies" have always been: personal readings of the past,
present, and future of the customer.

Deu 18:9 "When you enter the land which the LORD your
God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those
nations.

Deu 18:10 "There shall not be found among you anyone
who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses
divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a
sorcerer,

Deu 18:11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a
spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

Deu 18:12 "For whoever does these things is
detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD
your God will drive them out before you.

Isa 8:19 And when they say to you, "Consult the
mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people
consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not
speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

"Father God" is pagan and comes from demonic
teaching as in the pagan Celtic religions:

"The goddess is the Celtic reflex of
the primordial mother who creates life and fruitfulness
through her union with the universal father-god." ~Celtic Life

This is the failure of psychobabble. With over
400 different psychotherapies, there's going to be a whole lot of
conflicting advice. Confusion, meds, money, even death, and no true solving of
issues. In italics below are excerpts from a report on Parkland, FL's high school mass murderer, Nikolas Cruz. He was apprehended and charged with murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. (It's the case that spawned kids from the same high school to demand gun bans, most notably David Hogg, who's been busy taking selfies & running around tv while the dead still hadn't been buried, emoting and demanding things from the grown ups he refuses to respect. In contrast and of note, the other well known student Kyle Kashuv, who is very respectful and far less emotionally driven than Hogg.)

At the time, Lynda Cruz was considering buying the teen a
pellet gun for his birthday. A different therapist who appears to have
visited the family at their home suggested the mom develop a “plan” in which
the youth would be allowed to buy a gun if he was able to “earn it” with good
behavior. There was “a plan in place at home in order to control his use of the
pellet gun.”

Cruz’s school therapist, however, expressed reservations. “Parent was advised against
getting him a gun (pellet) or classes for his birthday,” the September notation
said. “Parent advised to restrict access to any weapon.”

In preparation for a summer 2014 recess, Cruz’s
school therapist and psychiatrist jointly wrote a letter to
another one of the teen’s psychiatrists articulating a host of serious
concerns....

A May 3, 2014, notation in a Broward
County schools psychiatric file said Cruz “reported [a dream] last week of him
killing people and covered in blood. He smiled and told the therapist
that sometimes he says things for shock value....”

In one April 2014 session, the therapist discussed Cruz’s “aggressive
behavior at home due to his not getting his way.” Cruz responded by saying
that he saw the therapist as a threat. The therapist noted that Cruz was “very
paranoid.”

Cruz told the
therapist he liked to make his teacher feel uncomfortable.

This is the key that is missed. Cruz
wanted attention. He said and did things to get his way and said and did things
when he didn't. In a word, he was a manipulator. He manipulated all his
therapists, teachers, schoolmates, friends, and family.

This man has spiritual issues that manifest themselves, as all spiritual things
eventually do, whether good or bad, in behavior. He is enslaved to his sin. And
while drugs can temporarily change his outward behavior, it can't change his
heart and nature. The only way to do that is to repent of his sins and turn to
the biblical Christ Jesus for salvation and forgiveness of his sins. In Christ,
a person is given a new heart with a new mind and a new will. The fruit in
one's life begins to demonstrate that change and it is lasting change sine the
Holy Spirit not only have given a new heart and mind to the person, but also
indwells that person to help them in their sanctification.

The world offers confusion and dark, lifeless, demonically inspired theories
that are useless and foolish.

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone
who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Joh 8:35 "And the slave does
not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.

Joh 8:36 "If therefore the
Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

1Co 6:9 Or do you not know that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

1Co 6:11 And such were some
of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and
affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles
also walk, in the futility of their mind,

Eph 4:18 being darkened in
their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance
that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

Eph 4:19 and they, having become
callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every
kind of impurity with greediness.

Eph 4:20 But you did not learn
Christ in this way,

Eph 4:21 if indeed you have heard
Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

Eph 4:22 that, in reference
to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being
corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

Eph 4:23 and that you be
renewed in the spirit of your mind,

Eph 4:24 and put on the new self,
which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of
the truth.

Col 2:2 that their hearts may be
encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the
wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true
knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

Col 2:3 in whom are hidden
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Col 2:4 I say this in order
that no one may delude you with persuasive argument.

Col 2:8 See to it that no
one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the
tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather
than according to Christ.

Joh 8:31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; Joh 8:32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."Jas 1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.Jas 1:19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;Jas 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.Jas 1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.Jas 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Jas 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; Joh 8:37 "I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.Joh 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;Joh 8:43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. If you deny you are sinning when confronted with the sin of partiality, if you don't repent of it, then how can you say you've been made free by Christ?

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

Here's some background excerpts from 1998 by Joe Maxwell, Heather Johnson, and John Geary at Christianity Today on C. Peter Wagner, whom it turns out, John Piper endorsed on the issue of spiritual warfare back in 1992:

Quote:

John Wimber, whose ministry helped spawn new theological lingo and mass Christian movements—including the Vineyard—died on November 17, the result of a fall that caused a fatal brain hemorrhage. He was 63.

Wimber had already recovered from cancer in 1993 and a stroke in 1995 (CT, Oct. 7, 1996, p. 49). Last year he underwent triple-bypass heart surgery.....

Wimber graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 1970 and pastored the Yorba Linda Friends Church for five years. In 1974, Wimber began breaking traditional evangelical molds when he became director of church growth at the Fuller Evangelistic Association. He later taught a controversial and well-attended "Signs and Wonders and Church Growth" class at Fuller Theological Seminary. In 1978 he became full-time pastor of what became VCF in Yorba Linda, California....

Today, thousands of traditional evangelical churches each Sunday sing Vineyard-produced songs, and Wimber's effective marketing has offered many Protestant denominations and individuals a nonthreatening way of charismatic expression.

"The Vineyard has exercised influence all out of proportion to its numbers," Regent University ..

End quote. (bold, my emphasis)

Piper, in his message on "Angels and Prayer" based in Daniel 10, (excerpts follow below) he starts off with teaching Peter Wagner's views of territorial spirits, then mentiones YWAM, and then goes to Daniel 10. There is no criticism of either Wagner or YWAM and that's not surprising, especially with Wagner, given that they both were at Fuller Theological Seminary. A few years earlier, Piper took some 50 folks from his church to California to a conference hosted by John Wimber's ministry church, Vineyard. Notice the Third Wave movement is mentioned. This movement morphed into the New Apostolic Reformation movement, of which Wagner was The Apostle. Of course he, like the other Word of Faith leader, died of an illness, proving their own doctrines and practices of having "enough" faith and speaking away illnesses a complete and utter failure.

Quote:

What's Happening in the World Today

Before we look at Daniel let me give you a taste of the kind of thing that is happening today.

Peter Wagner's Assessment

Peter Wagner just published a book called Engaging the Enemy: How to Fight and Defeat Territorial Spirits. He believes that as we move into the '90s, the Holy Spirit is calling the church to a spiritual warfare with territorial spirits—evil spirits, demons, principalities, powers, world rulers of this present darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12)—which attach themselves to specific territories or regimes or institutions.

His assessment is that in the 1950s God began to ripen a harvest of souls as he put evangelism high on the church's agenda. In the 1960s God pressed the issues of compassion for the poor and oppressed on the conscience of the church. In the 1970s there were the first seeds of the growing prayer movement around the world. And in the 1980s, with the third wave, there has been a great emphasis on supernatural power in ministry, especially gifts relating to prophecy and healing. As we enter the 1990s, Peter Wagner sees spiritual warfare with territorial spirits moving to the forefront....

Of course, spiritual warfare is not new. But the way territorial spirits are being confronted seems to be new. For example, in Cordoba, Argentina, 200 Youth With A Mission missionaries gathered from around the world to tell fans at the World Cup (soccer playoffs) about Jesus. But no one seemed to be listening to their good news. Their evangelism efforts were listless and powerless; their Spanish tracts were ignored.

The missionaries decided to devote a day to prayer and fasting. In that meeting God revealed that Satan was not only busy with individuals, but that he had immersed himself deeply into the culture of the territory—especially in the form of pride....

In other words, the way many are doing spiritual warfare today is by moving into an area, seeking to discern supernaturally the spirit that Satan has assigned to oppress and blind and control the area, and then specifically serving notice on that spirit that Jesus Christ is triumphant in this place and breaking its spiritual hold on the region. S. D. Gordon said 90 years ago, "Intercession is winning the victory over the chief, and service is taking the field after the chief is driven off." That's the strategy that many seem to be applying today with a direct focus on territorial spirits.

Let's look at Daniel 10 to see what it will teach us about these things....

After saying that Paul and Silas were singing in prison because they were in spiritual warfare (something Scripture doesn't even say), he [Piper] goes on:

Quote:

Four years ago I was called late one night to come to an apartment where supposedly there was a demon-possessed woman. I called Tom Steller and we went together while our wives prayed at home. What we found was a woman held in a room by some young Christian women who were intent on seeing the demon driven out of this woman. For about two hours I talked to her and read her Scriptures and prayed prayers of deliverance.

She became increasingly violent, knocking the Bible out of my hand and grabbing the prayer sheets and shoving me. At one point, about one in the morning, when the conflict rose to a fever pitch between the Word of God and the satanic force in this woman, someone in the group began to sing. It was one of our familiar worship songs. We sang it again and again and the Lord gave us new words for it each time. The effect on her was dramatic. She began to tremble and threaten us if we didn't stop. Then she threw herself on the floor and screamed for Satan not to leave her. She went into convulsions and then went limp. When she came to, she remembered nothing of what happened and was willing to read Scripture and pray.

End quote.

Did you catch that? Piper is saying that 1) God gave them inspired words to sing (they should then be immortalized in our Bibles after Rev. 22:21) but apparently not a new tune, and implies that 2) Scripture is NOT sufficient to deal with Satan, thinking it was incompetent, contrary to Matt. 4 where Jesus did just that. He did not sing, He quoted the living Word of which He is Author. Paul also says we are to use the weapon of the Word against such attacks. Such a view, that Scripture isn't enough to battle Satan is not part of the Five Solas that Piper claims to believe in, namely "Sola Scriptura".

"Let me tell you about a most wonderful experience I had early Monday morning, March 19, 2007, a little after six o’clock. God actually spoke to me. There is no doubt that it was God. I heard the words in my head just as clearly as when a memory of a conversation passes across your consciousness. The words were in English, but they had about them an absolutely self-authenticating ring of truth. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God still speaks today."

Piper also advocates the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor. 12 including prophecy. Knowing Piper's penchant for redefining words (not the least of which is "hedonism"), and playing fast and lose with Scripture (he finds "enjoyment" in verses about reading the Word to know Christ--as if those verses support his hedonism, which they don't), given that he was indoctrinated at Fuller Theological Seminary, a bastion of Word of Faith demonic doctrines and practices, given that he's previously endorsed the Charismatic gifts and one of WOF's earliest and biggest teachers, John Wimber (see above), there is no way Piper didn't mean for prophecy to be anything other than the gift of prophecy early in the New Testament churches.So when Piper joins Word of Faith pastor Christine Cain at the Passion conferences, or endorses Charismatic Matt Chandler (he had a "vision" from God, and has been on TBN three times in the last few years), or endorses Mark Driscoll who is also Charismatic (has had pornographic visions, it's not surprising nor new. This is not an "anomaly" as some have suggested. This is who John Piper is; what he's always held to and experienced.

End quote.

Go here and here for more examples of Piper's charismaticism. His view has been consistent as a Charismatic.

"I have often stated that I was raised by a single parent because ministry took my father away from our family—for weeks and months at a time. Daddy estimated that he was gone from home approximately 60 percent of his children’s growing-up years. " - Anne Lotz on Billy Graham.This is a violation of Scripture. Ministry is never to trump marriage and parenting. Here's more fruit of that violation:Virginia Leftwich “Gigi” Graham Foreman (b. 1945) married Swiss-Armenian Stephan Tchividjian at the tender age of 17. But life in Switzerland proved intolerable under her father-in-law’s domineering influence. They fled to America and had seven children. Gigi became depressed and began to write on scraps of paper between household tasks. Eventually she completed 10 books and developed an inspirational speaking and writing ministry. After she and Stephan divorced, she married and divorced a private investigator, and in 2012 wedded childhood friend Jim Wilson, son of her father’s constant companion T. W. Wilson.Ruth “Bunny” Graham (b. 1950) said that her father gave her grace and she wants to give grace to others. After Bunny discovered her first husband had been unfaithful, she felt suicidal. By the time her third marriage was on the rocks, she founded Ruth Graham and Friends to help wounded Christians stop pretending they have it all together. In 2009, she married a fourth time to a former minister who was being tried for possession of child pornography. The next year, Ruth Graham was ordained as a Baptist minister, and her husband was among those who laid hands on her.

Big sister Anne says Nelson Edman “Ned” Graham(b. 1958) was Ruth Graham’s favorite child. Ned has continued the family focus on Chinese missions as president of East Gates International. East Gates works with existing structures to meet the needs of Chinese Christians. Ned tried to honor his mother’s wishes to be buried near their Montreat home, but Franklin won his father’s approval for her burial at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. Ned has been married twice, spent time in rehab for substance abuse, and says he suffered from demonic oppression. He told Charisma magazine that he experienced deliverance after “inner healing” prayer and that God gave him a new “prayer language.”

Tuesday, March 06, 2018

"Moses was the great liberator," she explained. "He brought millions of people out of bondage to slavery, got them to the edge of the Promised Land and God took him to Heaven. God brought Joshua to lead them into the Promised Land to take them home."

"And my father also is a great liberator," Lotz continued. "He brought millions of people out of bondage to sin and gets us to the edge of Heaven, the edge of the Promised Land and then God has called him home."

"Could it be that God is going to bring Joshua to lead us into the Promised Land, lead us to Heaven and – you know what the New Testament name for Joshua is? It's Jesus. And I believe this is a shot across the bow from Heaven. And I believe God is saying: 'Wake up church! Wake up world! Jesus is coming!" she declared.

What in the world does "getting them to the edge of Heaven" mean? Almost saved? Near death?

Decisional regeneration isn't repentance and faith in the biblical Christ. Also many of them were literally led back to the Roman Catholic Church as they had special counselors for them at those crusades. Graham's understanding of the Gospel is problematic since he declared all sorts of unbelievers and false teachers as "saved" like Pope John Paul 2 and Mormon Glenn Beck. He also held to inclusivism (many in false religions are saved and don't even know it and have never heard Jesus' name).

Also there's the narrow road:

Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Lotz shows yet again why God has a command against women in the pulpit.

1Ti 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

She's focused on signs and reads them into possible imminent cataclysmic judgement of God. Now, Scripture tells us what will happen in the end, but she's not doing that. We ARE under God's judgment and that judgment but it is with Evangelicalism first, as it claims to be His household of faith, since it is full of spiritual as well as physical harlotry. She for her part, is in sin because of her direct disobedience of women teaching men which 1Tim. 2 clearly prohibits.

Monday, March 05, 2018

Luk 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own;but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

That no one was offended by a biblical gospel to the point of being convicted of their sin & spiritual whoring should be enough to indicate it wasn't the Spirit that was at Graham's funeral. It was an UNholy alliance steeped in the kingdom of darkness praising it's own. I believe this is a mere taste of what we'll see as the Great Deception takes over and "Christians" and non-Christians alike will follow the Lawless One (2Thes 2).As Charisma News reported:Those who walked into the memorial service tent would see leading lights like Ed Young, Joel Osteen, Paul Crouch, David Jeremiah, Dick Eastman, John Hagee, Max Lucado, James Dobson, Peter Lowe, James Merritt, Ronnie Floyd, Andy Stanley, Leonard Sweet, Kenneth Ulmer, Elmer Towns and more. Yet, everyone arrived the same way and left the same way. It epitomizes the truth that all of us came into this world the same way and all of us will leave the same way.

There was a spirit of honor and reverence throughout the entire audience. The repeated phrase I heard was this: "I was just honored to be invited by the Graham family." We felt the Holy Spirit's power throughout the celebration service, especially during the presentations of Anne Graham Lotz and Franklin Graham.

You could especially sense the Holy Speaking when Ms. Lotz spoke of the providential time of her father's passing for the United States and the world. When Franklin Graham presented the gospel, the Holy Spirit confirmed in the heart of the listeners that "this was from the Lord." This was powerfully pungent when Franklin ask the question, "If this was your funeral, would you be in heaven?" The audience groaned at this personal question.

"The pope’s representative in the United States, Papal Nuncio Christophe Pierre, had a front-row seat for the funeral, next to Gov. Roy Cooper, the Trumps and Pences. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, who leads the second largest Catholic diocese in the United States, was also scheduled to attend."

They weren't honoring Jesus Christ, that's for sure. Had that been true they'd obey the biblical Gospel and would've walked out of there. A true Christian would've not even gone. Why? Because they were elevating a dead false teacher above Christ Jesus the King and HIS Word of separating from such spiritual whores and children of the devil who are great deceivers, mockers, and blasphemers of Christ Himself. That's why.

About Me

My name is Denise. I grew up in the Charismatic movement, but God delivered me out of it, and I thank Him for that. My heart is to show other believers the error of various movements(WOF, NAR, Seeker Friendly, Reformed theology/New Calvinism).I want to help them find truth through Scripture. I love the Word of God and hold it dear to my heart. It is the standard by which I filter everything, including doctrine & politics, including my own thoughts and actions. Ps 138:2
There is One God, and within the One God there are three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit(1Peter 1:2; Matt. 28:19; Matt. 3:16-17; John 14:16-17). Literal 6 day Creation is Truth.Scripture is infallible, inerrant, & God-breathed (2Tim. 3:16, Heb.4:12, Ps. 19 & 119). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone apart from any works (baptism, prayers, walking an aisle, etc.) so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-10). God is totally Sovereign in ALL things (Ps 33). I do mean ALL. Man is responsible for his sin. God is responsible for saving the elect through HIS means.